Send in the Clowns
by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: Nick finds himself aiding a former girlfriend only what is she really running from? Centered on Nick, but all Barkleys are either shown or mentioned. Rated T to be safe. Genre always subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

A/N In spite of what it sounds like, the circus is NOT in Stockton...yet.

"How could you!" Marcus Hansen, a middle aged and graying gentleman, stood inside the large circus tent looking at his youngest son, a red headed twenty-five year son. "I told you not to pull the rope as it were or this would happen!"

"I wasn't trying to pull anything!" Adam snapped back. "I was only stating the truth!"

The two men might have continued arguing only Marcus' wife of fifty years, a feisty woman born in Poland who had moved to America as a teenager, marched into the tent. The look in her eyes told them that their argument was loud enough for people on the outside to hear them.

"Stop it! You two are not helping anything or anyone!" Zuzanna then rattled a few sentences off in her native Polish, a habit that drove her son up a wall. "Excuse me," she looked at her husband and son. "We know you meant well, but out of all our family you should have known what to do or not to do in this case. People will start showing up in the next hour. They will be expecting a whole show, not just part. So, since-as your father says-you pulled the rope; you can go talk to Zelda and Peter. If not them, you can try Natasha and Ramone. Somebody needs to be up there." She paused and then, in an even firmer tone, told him it was up to him to find 'their stray'. "That one has a gift when up there," Zuzanna pointed up towards the tight ropes, "but one has to want to be up there, not forced. You need to go on a search after the show, apologize and explain. Hopefully, things will work out from there."

"And if it doesn't? I am just to sit by and let such talent go to waste?" Adam asked in disbelief.

"Son," Zuzanna shook her head. "I was holding the rope gently, not pulling it tight and trying to use force to get my way and for my own purposes. I was beginning to some hope. You saw it too, but you got impatient and pushed too hard. Now, you need to do as I have said."

Adam wanted to argue with mother, but he couldn't. He knew she was right. He had moved too fast. "I have no idea where to look." He looked at his parents, his eyes filled with a sincere apology.

Marcus turned up his hands. "We need to get ready for the show. Go talk to the other performers and then, later, do as your mother has said. All we can do is hope for the best." He then turned and walked away, leaving his wife and son to talk.

~oOo~

Dark, black clouds could be seen off the north side of the Stockton. Rumblings sounding through the sky could be heard every now and then. The citizens of the city were sure a storm would be rolling into town any time now and were keeping an eye out for the first rain drop, and that first drop fell just as Nicolas rode into town. He wasn't happy about having to travel to town under these conditions, and normally he wouldn't. Only problem was, Chad Tyler-Fred's temporary deputy, had shown up at the ranch and shocked everyone.

 _"Doc Merar needs Nick to go into Stockton. He said yesterday would have been better" had been the man's exact words. When Jarrod asked what was going on, the deputy had thrown even more shock waves towards the Barkleys when he said he didn't know, but that Dr. Merar didn't want to see anyone but Nick in his office._

The statement had aroused Nick's curiosity enough to make it so he hurried out of his house, saddled Coco and rode into town. By the time he reached Dr. Merar's office and stepped inside, the rain clouds might as well been pouring their moisture out of buckets.

Nick hurried to shut the door, and then took off his coat, along with his hat. He could see no one in the front of the doctor's office, but he could hear Dr. Merar's voice coming from the back room. His curiosity only rose when heard the good doctor say, "Well, you need someone who can push back just as hard as you do! And, as far as I can tell, the only one in Stockton that has ever been able to get you to listen to anything is Nick Barkley-even if the two of you in the same place is, for the most part, not a good idea! So, yes, whether or not you like it, I sent for him!"

Nick waited to hear whoever the doctor was talking to answer only to see the door open and one, very frustrated, doctor step out of the room. Upon laying his eyes on Nick, Dr. Merar threw up his hands and exclaimed loudly, "FINALLY!"-and then hurried up to the front of the office. "Maybe you can go back and talk some sense into my patient! She won't be able to leave that room-or at least a hotel room-for a few days. After that, she'll not be fit for traveling until that cast comes off!"

She? Cast? Nick frowned slightly. Who on earth was the doctor talking about, and what had happened? "Maybe, you best start from the beginning before I go back there." Nick looked past Dr. Merar and looked at the now closed door.

The good doctor might have done just that **,** only Fred stuck his head into the office just as the gentleman opened his mouth. "Sorry, doc, but we need your services at the general mercantile. Old man Pulson got it into his head he could still climb a ladder; his son thinks the gentleman's broken his hip!"

"Just go back there and talk to her!" Dr. Merar snapped as he hurried back into the room he'd just left and then reappeared with his bag. He was still shaking his head as he disappeared out the front door.

Nick hesitated only for a second and then made his way to the back room, the whole time wondering who on earth had found themselves a patient of Dr. Merar's…and why they wanted to leave Stockton before they were fit to do so.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A/N After starting the chapter I'm working on now (there's a few chapters between this one and the one I'm working on) the chances of any Barkley dying has dropped to 15 percent. I know where the death I was feeling is coming from. I should say, if there's only one death, I know where it's at. So, let's all hope it's the only reason for the feeling of death.

When the front door opened, Victoria stepped out of the dining hall expecting to see Nick arriving back home. Instead, Jarrod was letting in Duke McColl. Victoria was surprised, but the surprise turned to concern as she saw the large amount of apprehension in their foreman's eyes. McColl's feelings were seen by Jarrod, Audra and Heath as well; the two blonde haired Barkleys were in the living room. Audra and Heath were playing chess. The family felt a degree of fear grip their hearts, as Duke McColl had left town a number of days ago and wasn't expected back quite yet. They couldn't help but wonder if Nick had met up with some sort of accident on his way into town-or on the way back.

"We knew you and your family were due back soon, but we thought you'd be gone for another day at least." Jarrod spoke as he shut the door behind McColl.

"We might have been." McColl replied as he followed Jarrod and Victoria into the living room, where Jarrod offered the foreman a drink. "Only," he hesitated-wondering if he was just jumping to conclusions.

"Only what?" Victoria, who was standing near the chair closest to the living room entrance, looked at McColl with a 'out with it' look in her eyes. The foreman could see the same look in Jarrod and Heath's eyes.

"Where is Nick?" Their foreman looked around, halfway expecting to have the hot tempered rancher walk into the room.

"He had to run into town." Victoria answered while her eyes demanded that McColl continue.

"Hansen and Mitchell Circus rolled into Modesto while we were there. From what I hear, they're supposed to be there a week and then…" he looked at the family as if to ask if he will needed to say more.

Victoria stiffened slightly, Jarrod silently groaned while Heath and Audra exchanged worried glances of their own. "They're coming to Stockton next?" Jarrod was the first to speak.

"It's what I heard. But that's not what brought me here." McColl took a deep breath and then continued. "Magdalena Mitchell has up and disappeared. I heard Adam Hansen talking with some of the other performers. He's not happy because he was expected to leave and go find her."

Victoria remembered the many times the circus had come Stockton before-the young horsewoman, also part time acrobat, and Nick had made each other's acquaintance. True to style, Nick had noticed the young woman's beauty. He'd begun courting her, going so far as traveling to nearby towns when the circus was in them. However, the relationship between the two had proved rocky—as she was just as stubborn and hot tempered as he. 'I don't dislike the young woman. In fact, I rather admire her ability to stand her ground and, from what I can see, she's honest and a hard worker. I just don't see how a union between her and your brother would ever work' had been Victoria's exact words to Jarrod shortly after Magdalena and Nick had gone the round yet again. Later, Magdalena had left when the Circus rolled out of town instead of staying in Stockton-as Nick had asked her to. "Thanks for telling us; you can go home to your family." She smiled at McColl, who knew better than to stick around, turned and left-saying he could open his own door.

"He still likes her." Jarrod, who was now standing next to the fireplace, looked at Victoria.

"Yeah, he still talks about her." Audra spoke up. "Do you think she'll come here? I mean to Stockton?"

Victoria shrugged her shoulders and turned to leave the room. "I have no clue." She then left the room wondering what Nick would say or do if he ever learned of the young woman's disappearance.

While Victoria and the rest of the Barkleys were thinking on Nick and the rocky relationship he'd had with Magdalena Mitchell, the hot tempered rancher stood at the foot of the bed Dr. Merar had in the room in his office. His fists were on his hips and he was looking at the very woman everyone was wondering about. She had a cast around her left leg, one the Dr. had put on after telling her it was broken. "What were you doing trying to ride that animal anyway?!"

"That animal has a name!" Magdalena, who was propped up against a few pillows, snapped back and then grinned from ear to ear. "And don't tell me I didn't have the right to try. The horse was running loose and, unless you show me a brand, belongs to no one."

"Wildfire's name fits her, and she is going to wear a brand… someday." Nick again barked sharply. He then shook his head and lowered his volume, "You could have been killed."

Magdalena would've had to be deaf and blind if she hadn't been able to hear the worry in Nick's voice and seen the concern for her safety in his eyes. It made her wish the two of them could get along better. "I had to have transportation; I couldn't keep getting rides in the back of freight wagons."

"Getting rides…you mean sneaking in when the drivers weren't looking?" Nick frowned as he asked the question in a disapproving tone.

"Oh, don't look at me like that! I left a few coins behind in the wagon. It's not that I wasn't looking to pay my way!" Magdalena shot back and then shrugged her shoulders. "I tried asking for a ride up front the first time, offered to pay. All it got me was a very crude offer from a supposed 'gentleman'. So, after that, I took the rides where I could and left payment behind when I left."

'Wish I could have a few choice words with that first 'gentleman'' Nick thought as he tried to reason with Magdalena. "Doctor's right. You can't travel with your leg like that. You'll only make it worse."

"And what do I do when 'they' see me? I told you the circus is due in Stockton sometime next week. They'll hound me to go back, or at least my cousin, Adam, will. He wants me to give up my horseback riding and concentrate on the acrobats and high wire." She didn't even try to hide the disgust in her voice.

Nick had seen her on the horses and the high wire. To say she was good at both of them would be an understatement. Only, the idea her aunt, uncle and cousins wanted her to totally turn her back on riding the horses boggled his mind. It also bothered him that he saw fear in her eyes; he'd never seen that before. There was something she wasn't telling him. "Let me talk to the doctor about taking you out of here earlier than he wanted. I'll take you out to the ranch. You can stay there and never set a foot in town while the circus is here."

Magdalena stared at him in disbelief. Was he serious? If he was, he was out of his mind. "Your mother doesn't approve of me. Why would she tolerate me being under the same roof as her?"

Nick rolled his eyes and leaned slightly forward, speaking in a firm voice. "I told you before. My mother has _nothing_ against you. It's _us_ , as a couple, she had a problem with." He chuckled and his eyes lit up as he added, softening the tone in his voice. "Guess she didn't care for our slight disagreements." That statement earned him a raised eye brow from the young woman.

"Slight? More like hand out tickets to the fireworks show!" Magdalena barked slightly, even as she chuckled slightly and shook her head. "Your mother's a fine lady. I won't put her in a position where she feels like she's walking on eggshells waiting for the next explosion. Besides," she scowled, "Someone from the circus is bound to show up at your house sooner or later…even if it is just to ask questions." She was sure of that.

Nick wanted to argue with her, but he knew she had a point. Still, he couldn't just walk away. He had to know the reason for the fear he'd seen. Only, he would have to get answers to that matter later. First, he had to deal with the problem they had at the moment. "Fine, let me hide you out at one of our line shacks then. With the reputation you and I have here in town, I can't see anyone searching the whole ranch." He went on to say he'd leave her a small firearm…just in case.

Magdalena still didn't like it; still, she had to grudgingly admit he was right. She was in no shape to travel. "Fine, but not a word…to anyone! Well, unless it's your family. Only, if you do that, please get a promise from them not to say anything? I _don't_ want to chance anyone from, or connected to, the circus to find me. I'm not giving up horses for anyone or anything."

That brought a smile to Nick's face. For everything they'd disagreed on, fine horses and the joy of riding one was not even close to being put on the list. Though the smile quickly fled as he thought on the fear he'd seen. The sooner he talked to the doctor and got her moved, the sooner he could start trying to get some answers. "Fine, I'll go talk to the doctor, and then I'll find a reason to come into town tomorrow. However, where you're going to spend the night is something I don't want to know right now. Just tell Dr. Merar, and he can tell me tomorrow." Nick turned and walked out of the room, knowing there was no need to tell her that if she didn't want the good doctor to say anything about her whereabouts she'd have to tell him that. Magdalena was a lot of things, but down right stupid wasn't one of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

It was close to ten at night before Nick rode through the gates that surrounded the Barkley home. The storm had stopped, and he'd taken the chance that he would make it home before it started raining again…if it did. He was relieved he'd made it home before he started hearing any more rumbling in the sky. He hurried and stabled Coco, he wanted to be in the house before it started raining again.

When he entered the house, he was surprised to see Jarrod sitting on the far right side of the sofa staring into the fireplace. If he had expected to see anyone still up, it would have been his mother. As far as Nick knew, Jarrod had court the next day. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" Nick asked after hanging his coat and hat on the new rack he'd set next to the door a few days before.

"I couldn't sleep." Jarrod replied, keeping his eyes on the glowing fire he'd built. Truth was, the thought that Nick would run off and try finding Miss Mitchell had been weighing heavily on his mind…especially since he agreed with his mother. By herself, Jarrod had nothing against the circus performer. However, he feared the combination between her and Nick as much as Victoria did.

"What's the matter?" Nick sat down on left side of the couch and leaned back.

"Duke McColl and his family came back from their vacation sooner than planned." By the time he was finished speaking, Jarrod had turned his head and was looking directly at Nick.

Nick, who knew where Duke and the foreman's family had went to, stood up and walked over to the fireplace. Looking into the fire, he asked, "And?"

Jarrod slowly told him what their foreman had said. "Well, I wish I could say I appreciate you losing sleep over the thought of where Magdalena might be heading." Nick spoke after a moment. "But, somehow, I don't think that's what's keeping you up."

Jarrod didn't reply at first. When he answered, it was with sincere concern in his voice. "I was thinking on your reaction when you found out, what you might do."

If it wasn't for the fact that he knew how much he'd talked about Magdalena since she left, Nick might have asked Jarrod why he was so worried. As it was, his mind went back to the conversation he'd just had with Magdalene. She didn't want anyone to know where she was and, after what she'd told him, Nick couldn't blame her. He knew he should tell Jarrod exactly what was going on. At the same time, he couldn't help but think his older brother would say the circus needed to be notified. Slowly he turned around. "You don't have to worry about me going and joining any search party." He turned and looked at Jarrod; he wasn't shocked at the look of surprised that came onto his older brother's face, though he said nothing more.

Jarrod, who had been indeed surprised to hear such words come out of Nick's mouth, looked intensely at his hot tempered brother. For all the times he'd talked about Magdalena, it didn't make since that he wouldn't be showing more concern. Unless… "Just where is she? And don't get flippant and simply say Stockton." Jarrod sat straight up.

Nick-who wasn't surprised Jarrod had caught the unspoken confession- turned back to the fireplace, remembering his last words to the woman he had been unable to get out of his mind since she'd left Stockton. "I can't give you any other answer at the moment. But, please, don't repeat the fact that I've even talked with her. She's a grown adult who left of her own accord, and doesn't want to be found."

Jarrod didn't like it, especially since he felt strongly there was something Nick wasn't saying. "Nick…" he stood up and started towards his brother only to have Nick bark him.

"Drop it, Jarrod!" Nick barked, and then softened his voice. "I told you, I can't tell you exactly where she's at right now. That's the honest truth. I don't know where she's spending the night." 'Thanks goodness for telling her to keep that from me' was a thought Nick kept to himself.

Jarrod, who still felt there was something Nick wasn't saying, would have pushed his brother to talk only nothing dire was requiring it. That being the case, he bid Nick goodnight. "I only have court in the morning. I'll see you when I come home for lunch."

"I won't be here." Nick, who was afraid his older brother would see right through him, kept his face on the fire. "I have some business in town to take care of, and then I have other things to do here on ranch. I probably won't be home until time for supper."

Jarrod frowned, thinking that purpose the 'business' was really Magdalena, though he said nothing as he left the room, as he could tell he'd get nothing more out of his brother that night. That left Nick alone…and entertaining memories from the past.

 _"What the…?!" Nick managed to cut his words off-even though he bellowed the ones he had said- as he jumped off Coco and ran towards Magdalena. The black haired beauty had just vaulted over a fence-in order to get away from a bull. "You were just supposed to be gathering some herbs for your aunt, and that could have been done someplace else! What were you doing in a field with a bull! Are you crazy?"_

 _"If it matters, I didn't see the bull!" Magdalena, whose heart was still racing, snapped as she began walking briskly away, keeping her eyes on the dust filled road she was now on. "As far as the bit about crazy goes," she hollered over her shoulder-even though there was no need since Nick was right behind her. "I must be! I mean, I didn't have to come this ranch and ask your permission to get the herbs my aunt needs!"_

 _Nick, who felt bad about yelling at her and was walking right beside her by this time, apologized. "I'm sorry; it's just that you could have been seriously injured." He might have mentioned the possibility of death, but he couldn't even entertain that thought._

 _"You think?" She stopped in her tracks and looked at him, slightly irritated at the obvious statement. Only, one look at the sincere concern in his eyes, and the irritation fled. "I'm sorry too. I should have looked better before entering any field with a fence surrounding it."_

Nick had to smile, as he remembered how he'd made a flippant comment back-and the two of them had started 'going the rounds'-as his mother put it. Most of the yelling they had done had appeared to be fighting, he knew that-some of it had been. Yet…he chuckled-a lot of times it felt they had actually been sparring with each other. He then around and walked out of the living room…wondering just how he was going to succeed in keeping Magdalena in one place long enough to heal. And that would be a challenge once he sat down with his family and told them everything he could, something he planned on doing once he had Magdalena out of Stockton and onto the ranch.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

People were walking up and down the boardwalks that ran through the main part of Stockton, though not as many as there were normally. That part surprised Nick as he drove the wagon though town, though he didn't dwell on it. As he drew near Jarrod's office, Nick was surprised to see his older brother walking towards the building. "Thought you had court this morning," Nick pulled on the reins and stopped the wagon, making it so he was looking straight at Jarrod, who had stepped onto the boardwalk and then stood still once he saw who was coming towards him.

"I did, but the case got postponed. Figured I'd get some work done in my office before heading home," Jarrod glanced at the wagon. "If you're going be getting a lot of supplies, you'll have to go to Jackson's store. The hardware store is temporarily closed."

"Thanks for telling me. See you tonight." Nick tapped the horses and drove away.

Jarrod might have followed Nick, as he was convinced Nick was up to something only he couldn't; Fred Madden was heading his way. That being the case, Jarrod disappeared into his office and waited for the sheriff. He didn't have to wait very long. Soon Fred was entering the famous attorney's law office and asking Jarrod's secretary if he could talk to her boss.

"Come on in, Fred!" Jarrod, who was seated behind his desk, called through his slightly opened door. Once the sheriff was sitting in front of the desk, Jarrod asked how he could help him.

Not knowing McColl had returned early and talked to the Barkleys already, Fred told Jarrod he'd received a telegram that morning, and then repeated what Jarrod already knew. "I don't know what her aunt and uncle want from me. She hasn't broken any laws, and they freely admit she left of her own free will. Still, I sent word back I'd keep my eyes out and talk to you." Fred gave Jarrod a look that said 'do I need to explain why I came to you instead of Nick?'

Jarrod almost told Fred that the missing woman was somewhere in Stockton, but-since no laws had been broken-he decided he'd simply corner Nick once both of them were home. "I'll keep my eyes open." Jarrod promised Fred before the lawman turned the topic to the fact that there was a man sitting in a jail cell who needed a good attorney.

While Jarrod was talking to Fred, Nick was pulling up to Dr. Merar's office. The gentleman stepped out not two seconds later. Nick wasn't sure if it was relief or irritation he saw in the physician's eyes.

"Your package is at my new house. Hotel was full up last night, and I needed my office. I'd appreciate if you go and get it…like yesterday." Dr. Merar, who hadn't appreciated being put in the middle as it were, hurried away, saying he'd received news he was needed elsewhere.

"I'm crazy." Nick muttered as he brought the reins in his hands down. He wasted no time in picking up a few supplies, and then headed for the Merar's home…which was a mile out of town. Once again, Nick's mind replayed a memory with Magdalena in it.

 _Nick stood inside 'the big top', next to the circus bleachers, and watched as Magdalena rode her horse around in a circle…only she was practicing going from a standing position to hanging from the side of the horse, holding onto the reins with one hand while keeping one foot in its stirrup. He was afraid her foot would slip and she'd lose her grip on the reins; neither one happened._

" _Why do you do that?" Nick asked once Magdalena had finished and walked over to where he was standing, after having one of the other performers lead the horse away._

 _Magdalena glanced towards the opening of the tent and the disappearing horse and then back at Nick. "Why do you own a ranch? Why do you go on long, dusty cattle drives?" She then shrugged her shoulders. "If the feeling for anything is strong enough in a person, they will do whatever is calling them." She gave him a look that asked 'do you want to debate that idea?'_

Nick chuckled as he remembered doing just that with her. Though, they were simply have fun 'poking each other'-as it were- her uncle had come on and told them to stop the fighting. Nick came out of his thoughts and shook his head as he pulled around to the back of Dr. Merar's home. It was surrounded by trees…had to be the only spot within miles that had this many trees in one spot. "Another why question, huh boy?" Nick loved trees, but not this many behind one's own house. Then again, with his present task; maybe, it was a good thing.

He hadn't even got halfway up the steps and the door was opening. Magdalena had always worn her hair up, even at the doctor's office. So, he was surprised to see her pitch black hair hanging loose. A part of it hung behind her back while some was draped over her shoulders; all of it hang almost to her waist. She was leaning on the pair of crutches the doctor had given her. "Are you sure you want to do this? Your family will not be happy if they find out I've taken refuge on the ranch, especially with our history."

Nick flicked his wrist though the air. "We'll worry about my family once we get you out to the line shack I was telling you about. For now, we need to get out of here. Jarrod isn't in court like I thought he'd be. I'll get your things and put them under the tarp that's covering the supplies; you can hide underneath it until we're out of town."

"Do we have to go through town? Can't we simply go around it?" Magdalena didn't like the idea of risking anyone stopping Nick and then, for whatever reason, looking under the tarp.

"We'll be wasting too much time if we do that. Now," Nick stepped into the house after Magdalena had moved onto the porch and grabbed her few belongings. "Let's get you hidden in the wagon." It wasn't long before he had the few possessions and Magdalena under the tarp. Soon he was driving the wagon away from the good doctor's home and back towards Stockton.

As he hoped, no one paid him much attention as he drove the wagon down the streets. Though, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jarrod's office and saw his brother standing on the other side of the window of the building. He also saw the look of suspicion in Jarrod's eyes. "Good thing I'm talking to the family when I get home' Nick thought 'I'd never be able to keep Jarrod in the dark for long. For that matter, the rest would catch on soon enough as well.'


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

By the time Nick drove up to the line shack, Magdalena was more than ready to get out from under the tarp and allow Nick to help her out of the wagon. One look at the small line shack and she almost changed her mind about staying in it. If it weren't for the fact that the idea of trying to hide in Stockton wasn't an option in her book, she would have refused to go inside. As it was, she followed Nick-who had grabbed her belongings, into the shelter. 'At least it will keep any rain that might fall off your head, best just be grateful Nick's willing to help you' she silently told herself.

"There's enough food for a few meals. I will bring more out tomorrow, have to work out this way anyway." Nick set her belongings on the wooden table that set against the south wall and pointed to the 'kitchen'; it was on the east side of the room. There were a few cupboards and drawers.

Magdalena, who had made her way to the cot that set against the west wall, sat down-causing a tiny bit of dust to fly off the blanket. It made her frown just a little. "Sorry," Nick walked towards the cot. "If you'll move to one of the chairs," he pointed back towards the table and the two chairs that sat next to the piece of furniture, "I'll take that blanket, go outside and get as much dust off as I can." The line shack might need a little bit of work, but it wasn't so bad it couldn't take the force of the blanket hitting the side of it.

"Thank you." Magdalena did as Nick directed. Soon she was sitting at the table while her crutches leaned against the wall; she watched Nick through the window. As she did, she allowed her mind wander back to the night she'd up and left the life she'd turned her back on.

 _Magdalena sat on the bleachers inside the big tent. All of the towns people had gone home and the circus performers had all gone back to their quarters. It made the area eerily quiet, though she didn't really mind as she looked up at the high wire. She had come to realize what her aunt was trying to 'get her to see'. She didn't know whether to scream or not. It was the horses she was in love with, not being seventy feet off the ground. All right, sixty-six, but that was getting too technical in her book. She didn't care how well she could do the act. She couldn't help but wonder if her parents would have tried to push her away from the horses had they not died when she was an infant, leaving her in the care of her Uncle Marcus and Aunt Zuzanna. The sound of someone entering the tent stopped her private thoughts. Somehow, she wasn't surprised to see her cousin, Adam, and his mentor and friend, thirty-nine year old William Bell, entering the tent._

Magdalena found herself growling. When it came to pushing her to give up the horseback riding and turn to the acts on the high wire, Adam was ten times worse than anyone else in the family. When it came to William, she shivered. The man made her very uncomfortable. She couldn't explain it; she didn't know why- as he was as good as anybody could come, but being around him made her uncomfortable. She quit dwelling on her cousin and his mentor when Nick re-entered the shack and put the blanket back on the bed. She then watched as he walked over to the table and sat down in the other chair. The fact that he looked more than serious had her on edge, and she stiffened slightly. "What is it? Are you thinking you made a mistake in making this suggestion?"

Nick, who really did want to help if he could, shook his head. "I want to know what made you run; what are you afraid of, and don't tell me you're not afraid of something. I saw it in your eyes last night."

Magdalena, who had realized when she'd left before she didn't like how Nick could see through her, stood up and-using her crutches, made her way over to the cot. "You look too hard." She bit of her words as they came out of her mouth.

Nick shook his head. Her snapping at him told him that he'd been right; she _was_ afraid of something or someone. Somehow, he had to get her to open up. "Nothing wrong with my eyesight," He took a few steps toward her. "I, my family, we can help you if you let us. Tell me what's wrong."

"I tried to ride Wildfire and busted my leg!" Magdalena turned on him and glared. "Now, if you don't mind, you're the one who sided with the doctor and said I couldn't leave this area until my leg was healed!" She then sighed, shook her head, sat down on the cot and lowered the volume in her voice. "I am sorry, Nick. You don't deserve my temper, only my gratitude. I know you and the doctor are both right. It's also not your fault this is what I have to stay in." She looked around the shack doing her best to adjust her attitude. "It's not like you didn't offer to take me to your family's home."

Nick sat down beside her and laid his hand on her shoulder. "You're not stuck here; you can change your mind anytime." He then went on to tell her he was going to tell his family most of what was going on. "Probably want to know where you're at," He wasn't surprised when she stiffened and, once again, he saw the fear he'd seen the night before-even if he could see she was trying to hide it. If only she was one of his male friends, he could fight it out with her. As it was, he forced himself to continue speaking. "Don't know that I'll confess where I have you, only I can't keep everything from them. Though, won't you tell me what on earth is going on?"

Magdalena let out a frustrated growl. "Tell your family what you want, just assure them I'll be out of your hair once I'm healed up. Now, please! I'm tired all a sudden." She looked at him; he eyes asked if she really needed to verbally ask him to move.

If it weren't for the fact that he needed to get to work, Nick would have made another attempt to get her to open up. As it was, he stood up. "There's not any reason for anyone to be out this way only," he pulled out a small pistol from inside his vest and handed it to Magdalena. "Just don't go pulling the trigger before you know who you're aiming."

Magdalena rolled her eyes at him, even though she had to admit he had a valid reason for the reminder. After all, she'd heard plenty of stories of people doing just that. Still, she didn't resist throwing out a 'Yes, sir' as she took the firearm.

Nick remained standing where he was for a split second more before turning and walking out the door, leaving Magdalena to lie down and do her best to relax.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

By the time Nick rode into the yard he was tired, hungry and a bit more than frustrated…as he'd stopped by the line shack before heading home to check on Magdalena. She was fine, but her mouth was as just as tight as it had been that morning.

 _'I told you that you're looking too hard! I'm simply not going to do as they ask! I'll find another way to make a living! Just don't ask me what I'll do yet because I don't know! As far as staying here in the line shack goes, I can't really complain now can I? It's really no worse than the living quarters that I shared with my aunt and uncle. I_ ** _am_** _grateful, and I_ ** _do_** _thank you." Magdalena, who had been lying on the cot, rolled onto her side and then whispered just loud enough for Nick to hear, "I haven't done anything wrong. Only, please, just let me be."_

If it weren't for the fact that he'd heard the silent plea, Nick might have tried to go the rounds with her again. As it was, he went outside, busted a few boards and then headed for the main house. He had his family to talk to.

Victoria, Jarrod, Heath and Audra were all in the living room when Nick opened the door and stepped inside. Victoria and Audra were on the sofa; Heath was sitting in the chair nearest the foyer entrance while Jarrod had just poured himself a drink. 'Well, at least I won't have to wait for everyone to gather in one room.' Nick thought as he hung his hat on the hat rack that stood in the corner of the foyer.

"Silas apologizes, but supper won't be ready for another few minutes." Victoria tried to hide her grin when her middle's son's stomach let out the loudest objection she'd heard in a while. On the other hand, both Heath and Audra started laughing while Jarrod's smile spread for ear to ear.

Nick might not have been thrilled at the news, but he wasn't going to take it out on his mother. He just hoped he wasn't about to ruin their supper for them-or for himself. Then, due to wanting to go to bed straight after supper, he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, as hungry as I am, we need the time to talk anyway."

Jarrod, seeing no reason to ask Nick what the problem was when he already knew, grew serious and asked, "Magdalena?" He wasn't surprised when any silent laughter that was still going on evaporated, neither was Nick.

"Magdalena," Nick repeated, and then went on to tell them how she'd been hurt, and why Dr. Merar had sent for him. "She was going to leave in her injured condition. I couldn't have that."

"Where is she?" Victoria glanced towards the door, halfway expecting the missing woman to walk through the door.

Nick hesitated. He knew his family would want to know such a thing, but he had to keep the young woman's whereabouts a secret for now. "I can't tell you that, not with the circus due in next week." He wasn't surprised when frowns of various sizes appeared on each family member **'** s face. "Look," he put his hands on his hips and looked at his mother and siblings. "I know you want all the information; I can't say I blame you either. However, someone in the circus is bound to ask you questions. This way you can honestly say you've heard she's in the area, but you haven't talked to her and don't know where she's at." He then repeated what Fred had already told Jarrod. "No one has the right to force her to go anywhere she doesn't want to be. She," he paused, turned around and walked to the window. Clasping his hands behind his back, he continued talking. "She doesn't plan on staying longer than it takes her leg to heal." He then confessed to why she'd refused to allow Nick to bring her to their home. He turned around and looked at his mother. "I'm going to try reason with her, get her to come here once the circus has come and gone. It would help if, when I do that, you would tell her you don't have a problem with her staying here until the cast comes off." The conflicting emotion his family saw in his eyes told them Nick was thinking about trying to get the young woman to change her mind about leaving Stockton.

Silently, Victoria let out her own frustrated scream. She wanted to shake some sense into this particular son; she wanted to get him to see that as good a person as Magdalena was, a relationship between him and the young woman was not a good idea. Though, due to the fact that she could come up with various places Nick could be hiding her-none of which Victoria liked-she nodded. "I'll talk to her when that time comes only, please, think hard about doing anything else for her."

"She hasn't broken any laws." Nick did his best not to snap, though his words still came out a bit sharp. He quickly apologized and said he was going to see how supper was coming along. "I won't be staying up once I'm through with supper. I'm tired." He walked briskly out of the room.

Once Nick had left the room, Audra looked at her mother with a bit of confusion in her eyes. "Why bother asking him not to do anything for, or with, her? He's going to do it anyway, even more so if any of us push him."

"I know that." Victoria stood up, exasperation in her voice. "I guess I'm just hoping my concern will get him to think…even just a little." She then excused herself, saying she was going to check on supper.

Jarrod, who had been watching Heath, could see the wheels turning in the blonde haired cowboy's eyes-probably trying to figure out where Nick had Magdalena hid. Just then Silas appeared in the entrance way and announced supper was ready. "All we can do for now is keep our eyes and ears open, Heath." Jarrod threw Heath a sympathetic look before heading for the dining room. Neither Heath nor Audra said anything as they too left the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The wind was starting to blow when Magdalena, who was leaning against the 'kitchen' counter, heard Sam begin to bark and the sound of an approaching buggy or wagon. While she hoped it was Nick, she was taking no chances. Grabbing a hold of her nearby crutches, the woman moved from the counter to a chair that sat near the wood stove. Once she was seated, she removed the pistol that sat on top of the empty stove and laid it on her lap. Second later, she heard the sound of spurs hitting the wooden 'porch'.

"Don't go shooting me." Nick said as he opened the door slowly, not wishing to open the door too fast, thus startling Magdalena.

Immediately, Magdalena relaxed. As Nick stepped inside the line shack, she laid the pistol back down on the wood stove as Nick took off his hat. As she watched him set some more food on the table, Magdalena felt a wave of guilt roll over her. She hadn't left the circus thinking to put Nick in a position where he would have to provide for her. "Thank you for the food, though I am sorry to be such a bother."

Nick turned away from the table and looked at her with a bit of exasperation. He knew her to be a lot of things; still… "You are not a bother, never have been." When she started to object, he stopped her. "Stubborn, opinionated and few other things," His mouth turned up in a grin, "but never a bother." He then grew serious. "How's the leg? How are you doing?"

Magdalena looked at her leg and shrugged, "Not hurting me, wish it would heal faster than the doctor says though." She was not used to being stuck indoors. Three days in the shack might not be long, but it was still enough time to make her wish there was another way to handle things. Nick seemed to read her mind.

"All you have to do is say the word, I'll take you to the house." Nick took a step forward. "Though, I have to admit until anyone connected to the circus at least pays our house a visit-which I'm sure they will soon enough-it might not be the best idea."

"You think?" Magdalena asked as she rolled her eyes. However, it was all she could do not to break out laughing as Nick answered with 'Sometimes,'. Though, fighting the laughter did not good, Nick saw through the façade and saw it anyway."It's not an option." She stated flatly, once the urge to downright laugh went away.

Nick almost told her he'd mentioned that his mother needed to talk to her, but decided against it. That topic could brought up another time. "Well, there's no reason for you to stay cooped up here. There's no main roads within miles of this place. The food here wasn't the only reason for bringing the wagon. I want to take you on a picnic." He then shocked her by quickly closing the gap between them and picking her up in his arms.

"Nick Barkley! You're crazy!" Magdalena automatically put her hands on the front of his shoulders only to have him start laughing and held her closer and asked if her goal was to make him drop her…thus injuring her even further.

"You're still crazy!" She snapped as she found herself hanging on-as he _had_ almost dropped her when she pulled back and put her hands on him.

"No crazier than a young woman I know." Nick chuckled as he headed for the open door. "She is known for following men into abandoned buildings." Okay, so that wasn't quite true, and he knew it. Still, it got the reaction he thought it would.

"Don't be an imbecile!" Magdalena snapped as he stepped off the 'porch' and headed for the wagon. "I do not follow just anyone into any building!" She gave him a glare-even if he was once again able to look past her front and see the hidden laughter. "Just ranchers who don't listen and go into one that might collapse on them! So, just stay out of them in the first place!"

Nick chuckled as she continued glaring at him even as he sat her down on the buckboard. He _hadn't_ been thinking when he'd entered the old building Stockton was getting ready to tear down the year before, but he'd been trailing a con man who had cheated him during a poker game. He'd been so determined to get him that he'd ignored anyone who told him to back off. "You didn't have to come in after me." Nick said after making sure Sam was in the back of the wagon, seconds later he was seated next to Magdalena and picking up the reins.

"Someone had to pull you out of there! You'd been knocked out and the place set on fire! If you remember, your brothers were out of town!" Magdalena folded her arms as she sent another yet another small glare. Okay, she hadn't had to do all the pulling-as Sheriff Madden had passed by at just the right moment.

Nick simply chuckled and started towards the clearing he had in mind for the picnic.

~oOo~

Victoria was standing out on the Verandah when Jarrod entered the billiard room. He wasn't surprised. After all, she hadn't been happy when she'd cornered Nick that morning and tried to get him to change his mind when it came to not telling the family where he had Magdalena hid…and his hot tempered brother had refused to budge. He walked across the room and through the open French doors, stopping beside his mother. "He has point, and we both know it. We're bound to have visitors sooner or later."

"Sooner would be better," Victoria kept her face forward, as she was watching Heath and some of their ranch hands breaking in some horses.

After a few moments of silence, Jarrod surprised his mother by admitting he'd sent a few inquiries out when it came to the circus.

"Why?" Victoria whirled around, wondering if something had happened to make such an action necessary. "I thought Fred assured you she wasn't wanted for anything."

"She's not." Jarrod shrugged his shoulders. "I just thought; maybe, something _had_ happened, and the circus people just weren't telling the law. So, I contacted a few men I know who have connections to the circus…ones who often times have information before the law does."

"And?" Victoria looked at her oldest closer, wondering if he had indeed found out Magdalena's secret.

"Nothing," Jarrod turned his palms up. "Absolutely nothing has happened that would warrant her running. Only 'problem' they've had is chasing off a man who used to be one of them, a man by the name of Jasper Anders. Seems like he was taking food from them and; before you ask, no they're not pressing charges. Just told him to stay away **.** "

Victoria let out a slow breath and shook her head. "Then we wait, it's all we can do." She turned around and disappeared back into the house, leaving Jarrod to watch Heath and the others-though she figured he was doing more thinking than watching.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Adam Hansen, tired and dusty, rode into the campground filled with the many circus' tents and games. Being close to midnight, it was practically pitch dark. Not surprisingly, no one stopped him as he made his way past the tents, booths and many of the performers moveable homes to the makeshift stable. Also, it didn't faze Adam when no one bothered him as he removed the saddle from off his horse. By the time he reached his family's home-a trailer on wheels-all he wanted to do was sleep. Of course, he wasn't surprised to see his parents standing outside.

"I didn't find her." Adam leaned against the outside of their home. "I think I must have knocked on every business, along with every house, in Modesto. She's left town."

Marcus Hansen turned away from his son, hitting the wheel of their trailer with the palm of his hand. " _No one_ saw her?" He turned and looked at his son in disbelief. He had thought that at least one man, woman or even child would have seen his niece.

 _"Sorry, we haven't seen her", "You have got to be kidding; she's left?",_ and _"Hope you find her,"_ among other replies sounded in Adam's ears as he did his best not to glare at his father. "If they did, they weren't admitting. As far as I can tell she's left Modesto." He then said there had to be another reason his cousin had fled. "Look, I know I got impatience and 'pulled the rope', as you put it. Still, I've done that before, and she's never reacted like this. If anything, she's yelled at me and…as she would say…'give me both barrels'."

Zuzanna rubbed her forehead and looked up at the blackened sky with its myriad of stars sparkling like diamonds. Her youngest had a point, but what else would have had such an effect on Magdalena and; more importantly, where had the young woman disappeared to? However, before she or her husband could say another word, they were surprised to see their friend, William Bell walk around the corner of their home. They were even more shocked to hear the gentleman agree with Adam.

"Magdalena did not run just because of Adam's words." William sat down on a short water barrel that sat next to the Hansen's home.

"What do you know that we do not!" Marcus, thinking the man had actually hid something from them, demanded as he took a step forward.

"Nothing," William replied, and then sighed, "and maybe something." He went on to explain he felt like he had some of the puzzle pieces in his hands, but couldn't get them to fit. "Even if I could, I know there's things I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Marcus folded his arms, not liking the fact he was confused.

"I don't know when she left or where she went, I wish I did." William shook his head. "It's just that ever since she started doing the high wire act, I have seen something in the back of her eyes." He waved his hand through the air when the couple started to speak. "Let me finish." The couple apologized and asked him to continue.

William leaned backwards and said, "I saw something, can't really explain exactly what it was. Just, well, the times I would see it I would tell myself that it was just what all the acrobats feel. I mean, in the back of our minds we know what risk we are taking when we are up there." He pointed upwards. "Still, whatever it is that is in us, making it impossible for us to do anything else, is greater than any other force. Only," he scratched the back of his head and looked at Adam. "When you start pulling that "rope" your parents talk about, that 'something' I had seen grew. Only," he let out a growl of frustration, "I don't know, but there is something bothering her on a huge scale."

Zuzanna grew upset. She'd always been close to her niece, or so she thought. If anything had been troubling Magdalena, she would have spoken up. "Why would you say that? You know our niece; she would not keep quiet if something was wrong."

"Not if she knew what it was, she wouldn't." William stood up, hooking his thumbs on to the top of his pant pockets as he did so. "Call me crazy, call me a lot of things if you want, but I think not even Magdalena knows what the problem is. I mean, deep down inside of herself she does, but that's it." He wasn't surprised to see the worry his friends had for their niece grew.

"We have got to find her!" Adam, who forgot how tired he was, began to turn around-intending to go saddle his horse again. Only, before he knew it, William had a hold of his arm.

"What good can you do tonight? Look," he let go of Adam's arm and looked at the family. "We close tomorrow, and then we head for Stockton. As we pass by the smaller towns between here and there, we can ask questions. If she's not in any of them then…" he paused and shook his head, "I suggest we stop by a certain ranch before going into Stockton." Again, he wasn't shocked to see all three of his friends' eyes widen in surprise.

"Why would she go there? She and Mr. Barkley are like oil and water. They don't mix!" The confusion Zuzanna felt come out in the tone of her voice as she asked the questions, a confusion shared by her husband and son.

William couldn't help but start laughing, just a little. "Ah, yes, oil and water. How well I remember that mix, even if it has been many years." He chuckled when Adam's confusion grew, though he grew serious as he looked on Zuzanna and Marcus, who were simply shaking their heads. "He," William nodded towards Adam, "does not remember my Anna, nor-as Magdalena would say-the fireworks we would exchange while I courted her…or the ones we shared even after we took our vows. After all, he was only five and Magdalena a mere four years old when my wife died." He paused and then looked at the family apologetically. "I'm not saying your niece left here looking for Nick Barkley, but she has left and," he shrugged his shoulders, "I don't think it would hurt to stop by his home and talk to all the Barkleys. For now, I think it is late and we need to get some sleep."

"William is right." A slight yawn escaped Marcus' lips as he looked at his wife and son. "Let's get some rest and the, after we close, we do as he says." He got no argument out of his family as they followed him into their trailer while William headed for his own quarters.


	9. Chapter 9

Send in the Clowns Chapter Nine

 _ **Excerpt from Chapter Eight**_

" _ **Not if she knew what it was, she wouldn't." William stood up, hooking his thumbs on to the top of his pant pockets as he did so. "Call me crazy, call me a lot of things if you want, but I think not even Magdalena knows what the problem is. I mean, deep down inside of herself she does, but that's it." He wasn't surprised to see the worry his friends had for their niece grow.**_

 _ **) ) ) )**_

Nick, who had risen earlier than usual, rode up to the line shack just in time to hear Magdalena yelling "NO! NO! GO AWAY!" He flew out of the wagon he'd driven out to the shack and, gun in hand, ran into the line shack only to see Magdalena thrashing in her sleeping, still yelling. Sliding his gun back into its holster, he hurried over to the cot, sat down and firmly, but not with any harshness, shook the young woman just a little. "Wake up, Mag, it's just a dream. You're all right. You're safe."

"NO!" Magdalena bolted up, and then opened her eyes. Nick felt horrible as he could feel her trembling-even though he couldn't see the action with his eyes. When it came to the circus performer, she could feel her heart pounding. Silently she cursed the reoccurring nightmare, even as she found herself wrapping her arms around Nick and holding on as if her life depended on.

"Talk to me, Mag; tell me what is wrong." Nick, who could still feel the trembling rolling through her body, spoke gently.

As much as Magdalena did not like the nickname 'Mag', and never tolerated anyone else calling her that name, she found herself unable to tell the hot tempered rancher not to use it either. "I c…can't. I..I d…don't know!" She stammered through her tears. "The d...dream, it a…always comes back, has for years!" she finally broke down and started to sob. After all, in the past, when she'd had 'that' dream, she'd simply brushed people aside, including her roommate-a young woman of Greek descent by the name of Inez. 'I just had a bad dream. We all have them, some good, some bad, but we still have them! Now, don't bother me! We have work to do!" had been her exact words to Inez and others. Never before had she admitted that the bad dreams had actually been the same one, repeating itself over and over. Though, silently she wondered what had made her confess the truth of that one to Nick.

Nick thought a moment and then, once he could feel the trembling stopping and Magdalena relaxing, he pulled back. "Is this why you ran? A nightmare?" That part didn't make sense to him. Though, the moment he asked the question, he knew he was wrong…and he wasn't surprised when Magdalena stood up abruptly and glared at him.

"No one runs _just_ because of a dream, any kind of dream! How come such a smart man asks such a stupid question!" Magdalena whirled around and stormed into the kitchen. "You're here mighty early. Don't suppose you've eaten." If one did not know her as well as Nick had gotten to know her, he might have gotten upset by the way she snapped the words out at him. As it was, he was both smiling and kicking himself for two reasons. One; he was smiling because she'd never called him smart before, a few other things, but not that one and; two, he was kicking himself for asking 'such a stupid question'. He just knew he might have gotten her to open up and tell him what was going on otherwise.

"I grabbed a bite to eat before I left the home. However, it wasn't my usual breakfast. So, if you don't mind, I'll go bring the supplies I brought in and then eat a bit more with you. After that I am supposed to meet Heath and help mend some of our fences." Just as he made the statement, his stomach growled loudly, as if to make sure Magdalena knew Nick wasn't exaggerating.

"You best hurry before you drop from hunger!" Magdalena held her head high as she threw out the words, even as she allowed an invisible smile to cross her face.

Nick, who saw through the facade, chuckled quietly. "Yes, ma'am." Nick chuckled again as he heard Magdalena yelling that 'Mag' was bad enough, he could drop the 'ma'am' bit as he walked out of the line shack. However, any chuckling stopped as he began lifting the supplies out of the wagon. A nightmare- even a reoccurring one- might not cause a person to run. However, as he thought on it-he felt strongly the nightmare had, somehow, still played some sort of part in pushing her away from the circus. "I have to find out what the problem is." He spoke only to himself as he started carrying the supplies in.

~oOo~

By the time Nick reached the area where he and Heath were supposed to work, his blonde haired brother was already there. Nick wasn't surprised, and hurried to start doing his share the work.

"Find out what's going on?" Heath asked as he stepped away from the post he'd just set, wiped his forehead with his bandana and looked at Nick.

Nick shook his head as stepped away from his own work. "No, but something pushed her away from the circus. I just know it."

Heath slid his bandana back into his pocket. Then, turning back to the fence, he asked Nick how he was going to handle the circus when it got to town. "They'll expect to see you, if someone doesn't stop by the house first."

Nick hoped not to have to deal with any of the other performers. After all, they weren't due near Stockton for a few more days. Maybe, by some miracle, he could get Magdalena to tell him everything by then. "I'll cross that bridge if I have to. Now, let's just get as much of this done as we can before noon."

Heath didn't bother asking if Nick was going home for lunch or ride out to where ever he had Magdalena hid. He figured that one was a given, and picked up his hammer, though not before reminding Nick that if he needed some help he knew where to get it. It earned Heath a smile and a thank you before Nick threw himself back into the work waiting for them.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

A/N "Hawkston" is, as far as I know, simply a made up town. With all the towns that have come and gone through history, I figured I'd take writer's liberty in this chapter.

) ) ) )

The sun was beginning to set as William walked towards his friend's home. He could see Marcus had taken off a wheel and was working on it. The fact that it sounded like the man was having a hard time not swearing made William chuckle. He was sure if it wasn't for the fact that Zuzanna was standing outside the wagon, Marcus would have been using swear words to turn the sky back to daylight blue.

Marcus looked up from where he was working when he heard heavy footsteps approaching. He was surprised to see his friend coming towards him. "Thought you were spending the night in *Hawkston," The same thought repeated itself in Zuzanna's eyes as well.

William, who had had every intention of doing so, shook his head in disgust. "I was going to only I bumped into an old 'friend' of ours."

The way William said the word 'friend' made both Marcus and Zuzanna stiffen. "Just who was it?" Marcus stood up and turned to face his longtime friend/co-worker.

"Jasper Anders," William spat the name out as if it left a bad taste in his mouth once he'd uttered it. He wasn't surprised by the disgust that appeared in Marcus' and Zuzanna's eyes. As long as they had known the man, Jasper Anders had never been one to think about anyone but himself. At least he was staying away from the circus now.

"What did he say, or do, to make you come back here early?" Marcus asked, half afraid of what he'd hear.

William scratched the side of his face-which felt like it needed a shave. "He claims he came across Magdalena the first night she disappeared, says he offered her a ride, but that she refused. When he tried to get her to take the ride, she got rather rude and ran off. Says he might have told us sooner only, what with taking the food, he was afraid of being accused of having something to do with her disappearance." Having no knowledge that Magdalena had-after hiding in other wagons- eventually found Wildfire, tried to ride the horse and then been thrown off, breaking her leg in the process, William said no more. Still, the disgust towards Jasper Anders could still be heard in William's voice, though his eyes were laughing just a little. No one had to tell the Hansen family that William thought the man had either asked for an outrageous amount of money or given her another, unacceptable, option. Also, none of them had to ask their friend what he thought Magdalena had done afterwards.

"How well did he claim he was walking after he told her the price?" Adam asked without thinking, though he didn't apologize. Why should he when he could see could how hard his parents were fighting to keep from laughing. In fact, his father had his own comment to make.

"If he made the offer I am thinking of, I hope she kicked hard him enough to do enough damage to prevent him from producing any heirs." Marcus' comment made it so they all lost their fight not to laugh. Once the laughter stopped, Zuzanna asked if the 'gentleman' had any guesses as to where their niece was going.

"She was heading north when they crossed paths. If she continued traveling in that direction," William shrugged his shoulders, "I'd say we best stick to our plan of having me, or somebody, pay the Barkley ranch a visit. That is, if we don't come across someone who can give us more information." He then bade them goodnight.

As their friend disappeared, Adam turned his parents. For the first time since his cousin left, he apologized to his father and mother- and made a surprising confession. "I shouldn't have pushed her. Like William, I saw something I could not explain every time she started to climb the rope ladder. Only, I too, simply connected it to the fear that is pushed aside by the drive that is in all of us. Though, I think William is right. Something besides my pushing caused her to flee. "

Both his parents wanted to slap him upside the back of the head and ask why he hadn't said something to them, only it would not have done any good. What was done was in the past. As far as what William and Adam thought, Marcus and Zuzanna didn't agree. As far as they could tell, the pushing was the only reason there was. Still, they weren't going to debate that one. Morning came early, and then they'd be on their way to Stockton.

) ) ) )

While the Hansens and William had been talking, Magdalena stood outside the line shack looking at Nick. He had brought a brown and black German Shepherd with him; the dog was now standing next to him. With a raised eyebrow, she asked, "What do I need with a dog? You can take him back with you."

Nick, who had finished helping Heath and McColl deal with some rustlers only a hour before bringing the dog out to the line shack, stood his ground. "If there are any more men, even one, like the ones my brother, our foreman and I just dealt with, Sam here will warn you. It's that or have me camp outside this shack." He paused and then asked, "Or have you changed your mind? Will you let me take you to my family's house?"

Magdalena let out a frustrated growl. She didn't hate dogs by any means, she'd just never had a desire to have one of her own. And, she sure wasn't having Nick Barkley camping outside the shack. After all, he wasn't her husband. "He's here only to guard this shack?"

Nick glanced at the dog and then added, with a bit of sarcasm in his voice, though his eyes were laughing. "No, I thought he could help cook and clean as well."

"Funny, real funny." Magdalena turned to go back into the shack and then turned back. Giving Nick a hard stare, she snapped ever so slightly, "You're not expecting him to stay in this place with me, are you?"

Nick rolled his eyes. "It wouldn't hurt. Still, if you took the time to notice, this line shack has a small fence in an area on the left side of it. I can put him there. If he starts barking, get that pistol I left you and keep an eye on the door."

Magdalena looked towards the side of the shack. "He can stay there, and you feel it necessary to give me those instructions, why?" Magdalena gave him a look that screamed 'how old do you think I am?"

"Maybe because I know you have a mind of your own." Nick snapped as he batted his hand through the air. "I don't want you to get it into your head to confront anyone outside. If they come through the door, and you're ready, you'll have the upper hand!" He turned and climbed into the wagon he'd driven out; that is, after pulling out a sack of dog food and setting it up against the shack. Once he was sitting on the buckboard, he leaned forward and lowered his voice. "I want to help you more than I am now. For that matter, my family would help you if you let them." He half way expected Magdalena to throw her hands up in the air, whirl around and disappear into the shack .,.or at least start yelling that he was looking too hard again. However, he was shocked when she leaned against the outside wall, tears escaping as she did so. He was out of the wagon and next to her side in a heartbeat.

Laying his hand on her shoulder, he looked at her in concern. "What is it? **What** is wrong?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Previously:

 _ **…he was shocked when she leaned against the outside wall, tears escaping as she did so. He was off in horse and next to her side in a heartbeat.**_  
 _ **Laying his hand on her shoulder, he looked at her in concern. "What is it? What is wrong?"**_

~oOo~  
From where Nick sat on his horse, he could see the main house. He'd have kept riding towards it only he saw a wagon he knew well was parked to the side of the house; it was one of the movable homes he'd seen on more than one occasion. He was pretty sure it belonged to Magdalena's cousin, Adam. That being the case, he stopped his horse and waited. It wasn't but a minute later he saw his mother, Jarrod and the man he instantly recognized as Magdalena's cousin, along with her uncle, coming out of the house. 'Good thing they're leaving,' Nick thought as Adam and his parents climb back up on the buckboard. The moment the three visitors were out of sight, Nick started for the house once more.

By the time Nick reached the house, stabled his horse and entered the house, he could hear his family talking in the dining room. With their busy schedules, Nick was grateful for the miracle the family were actually eating lunch together.

"I don't like it. I want to know where Nick has Magdalena hid. Does she realize how much time Nick is spend…" Audra, who was sitting at the dining room table with Jarrod, Heath, their mother and Gene-who had just arrived home from Berkeley, started to speak only to stop when she heard the sound of spurs hitting the floor behind her. She whipped her head around, feeling sure Nick was probably giving her at least a small glare. She wasn't far off.

Nick, who didn't look very happy, pulled a chair away from the table and sat down. "First off," he looked at Audra even as he could see Magdalena standing in the shack apologizing for her abrupt behavior and thanking him profusely, "Mag is _very_ aware of how much help she is receiving, and she _is_ grateful. Second, where she is…" Nick pulled back just enough to allow Silas, who had brought a plate out for the hot tempered rancher, to set the food in front of him. "Thanks,"

"You're welcome, Mr. Nick." Silas turned and walked back into the kitchen.

"Like I said," Nick glanced at his family as he began digging into the food, talking in between the bites of food he was eating. "As far as where Mag is staying, you'll find out soon enough if," Nick looked at his mother and Gene, "If Gene will take you and mother out to see her." He wasn't shocked when looks of surprise leapt on his mother's, Gene's and Audra's eyes. "Like I said," he looked at his mother before practically inhaling his drink. "She needs to know you don't mind her being here and, since the Hansens have been here already, it should be safe enough for Mag to come here."

Victoria frowned ever so slightly, not because she wanted to turn Magdalena away when she needed help. No, the small frown was simply due to Nick using a nickname for Magdalena. It told her that he did indeed still carry feelings for the woman. Still… "Tell us what's go going on and where she's at; Gene can take us to her right after lunch."

Nick swallowed another bite of food and shook his head. "It's simple…and not so simple." He wasn't surprised when looks of confusion appeared in every member of his family's eyes. He told his family where Magdalena was and then added, "The simple part is this, Mag's had re-occurring nightmares that started when she was around 5; she can't remember for sure. When Adam pushed her to switch to the acrobats full time, he said something that triggered something inside her and," he finished the food he might as well have inhaled and sat up, "she actually saw everything in the nightmare replay itself out right in front of her eyes. It frightened her bad enough to convince her that, if she stayed with the circus, she'd go crazy. Somehow, taking up residency at Napa State wasn't on her list of things she wishes to do." He looked at Jarrod and Heath. "I got her to tell me everything in that dream. Now, I need to talk to the two of you in the study. What makes the matter not so simple is something I want to discuss there." He stood up and, apologizing to his mother, Gene and Audra. "Please, when you go to the line shack, do not discuss the dream. I finally got her to admit she's not comfortable at the line shack only, like I just said, she has to know you," he looked at his mother, "are okay with her being." He then turned and walked briskly out of the room.

"This is getting more and more strange." Audra, still looking confused, commented as she went back to eating her lunch. On the other hand, Jarrod-who had the appearance of someone deep in thought, pushed back his chair.

"Please, apologize to Silas." Jarrod glanced towards the kitchen door, "The food is delicious only I'm not hungry now. I'm going to the study."

"Same here," Heath put his fork down, stood up and followed Jarrod out of the room, leaving the other three Barkleys to finish their lunches and talk among themselves.

"What are you thinking?" Heath asked once they were far enough away from the dining room; he didn't want his mother to pull them back in and have Jarrod answer the question in front of her and the others. That would delay his and his oldest brother's chat with Nick.

"When someone has a nightmare once or twice, I say that's life and don't worry about it." Jarrod stopped in front of the study doors and turned to look at Heath. "Only, if that nightmare started around twenty years ago and hasn't gone away?" Jarrod looked at the study door and then back at Heath. "I'd say there's something serious that needs to be dealt with." He reached out, took a hold of the study door handle and tilted his head toward the door. "Time to go find out what the not so simple part is."

Heath couldn't agree more and followed Jarrod into the study.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

It was close to two in the afternoon before Gene, Victoria and Audra pulled up to the line shack. Since Sam had begun barking the moment the wagon started drawing closer, Magdalena had looked out the window. Sighing, she used her crutches to make her way out of the shack. By the time Gene stopped the wagon, Magdalena was leaning on her crutches and standing on the 'porch'.

"Hello, Mrs. Barkley." Magdalena smiled politely, in spite of feeling like her nerves were standing on edge. She had never liked making anyone feel uncomfortable, and she feared that's what she was doing to Victoria Barkley by simply being on Barkley land.

"Name's Victoria," Victoria, smiled back as Gene, who was standing on the ground by that time, helped her and Audra out of the wagon. "We came to see about moving you to the main house."

" _I tell you, she'll come herself. She doesn't hate you."_ Nick's words rang in Magdalena's ears. She'd heard the words, and she knew she had no cause to think Nick didn't believe every word he'd spoken. Still, a part of her had doubted she'd ever see the Barkley matriarch standing in front of the line shack saying there was room for Magdalena at the main house.

"Are you sure?" Magdalena, still wondering if she needed to pinch herself, "Do you really want me there?"

Victoria didn't blame the woman for asking the questions. After all, the last time Nick and Magdalena had what Nick had insisted was simply a 'loud debate', Victoria had made it quite clear what she thought about the two fighting so close to her bedroom window. "You need to stay somewhere besides a line shack." Victoria surveyed the area around here. "The nights are going to be getting colder soon, and a fire-here-will attract attention. Smoke from our chimney will not. Also, inquiries from the circus have already been made at our home; so, yes, I am sure."

Magdalena, who had been concerned about the attraction any smoke from the shack would get, was extremely grateful she'd not have to worry about that one. She said as much too, and then found herself adding without half thinking, "If Nick and I find it necessary to do any fighting," Magdalena saw no reason to use any other word, as she was fully aware the majority of people did not consider what she and Nick did debating or sparring. And, at the moment, she didn't feel like arguing over that fact with the woman gracious enough to take her into her home. "I'll make sure we confine it to the barn."

Audra and Gene couldn't help it; they started laughing while Victoria simply shook her head and asked if Gene could get Magdalena's things for her while she got Sam.

"There's not much, just a small bag." Magdalena nodded to the shack behind her. It didn't take long for Victoria to put Sam in the back of the wagon. Once Gene put Magdalena's bag in the back as well, the three Barkleys and their guests were headed for the main house. In spite of the situation, all four were relieved when they had a friendly enough conversation on the way back.

~oOo~

Jarrod sat on his horse, roughly four hundred yards from where the circus had pitched their tents. After discussing it among themselves, the three brothers had decided Heath should stay and work with McColl; Nick would take some of the unsuspecting ranch hands and 'looked' for Magdalena-giving Victoria to get the injured woman to the house- while the oldest Barkley paid a visit to the circus. After all, if the circus people saw all three brothers riding up it might arouse suspicion and make it so no one would talk to them about anything. As it was, they figured with Magdalena missing in the eyes of the circus, and Jarrod being an attorney who did a lot of his own investigating, the circus people would simply assume he was there to help gather information that might help find the missing performer.

Jarrod pushed Jingo forward. As he did so, a portion of the conversation between Nick, Heath **,** and himself that had taken place in the study replayed itself for the oldest Barkley brother.

" _Neither she nor I understand the tunnel with holes in her dream only the fact is she is watching the acrobats practicing their acts, no one else is around. They finish, and then the scene gets fuzzy and she sees someone climbing up to where the Acrobats stand when they catch the bar they swing on," He rolled his eyes when Jarrod started throwing out the technical terms for everything. "Let's not worry about the correct terms right now, OK?" Nick looked at his brothers and continued. "Anyway, she can't see who the person is in the dream only - whoever she is seeing - is doing something 'up there'-she can't tell what. Moments later, the same person is running out of the tent laughing-and the laughter is evil sounding. The person in the dream leaves never aware she's watching. Then the whole scene changes, people are in the tent, the acrobats are doing their act and then …" Nick shrugged his shoulders. "The dream goes flat out crazy…ropes are breaking, clowns, acrobats and every other performer is falling everywhere and-worst of all-there's clown faces everywhere, only they're uglier and scarier looking than she already thinks they are."_

 _Nick had went on to say he was absolutely sure Magdalena had witnessed something horrible, maybe even criminal, at a very young age. "I was hoping you'd go down and pay a few of the older performers a visit." He looked at Jarrod. "See if you can get them to talk about anything tragic that might have happened. Might start with William Belle, he's one of the main acrobats and has been there the longest. I really think if we can find out what she witnessed, the nightmares that have plagued her for years -ones that began happening more often once she started doing the high wire act part-time - will stop."_

The conversation quit playing as Jarrod dismounted Jingo, tethered him to one of the tent poles and walked into the main tent. He could see men setting up the bleachers while a man and woman were up on the high wire practicing their act.

"May I help you?" One of the men who had been setting up the bleachers walked over to where Jarrod stood.

Jarrod introduced himself and said he was hoping to talk to a few of the performers, starting with one William Bell. "I was told that; aside from the ringmaster, he's been with the circus the longest."

The worker, who assumed exactly what the Barkleys hoped, gestured toward the high wire. "He's up there. He won't be done practicing for another fifteen minutes. You can wait on the bleachers or go talk to some of the other performers first."

Jarrod almost turned and went to do exactly that-talk to other people, only to have the strongest impression to wait the fifteen minutes. "Thanks, think I'll take a seat." He headed for the nearest wooden bleacher while the man went back to work.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

 _Previously: Jarrod almost turned and went to do exactly that-talk to other people, only to have the strongest impression to wait the fifteen minutes. "Thanks, think I'll take a seat." He headed for the nearest bleacher while the man went back to work_.

~oOo~

William, who had seen Jarrod enter the tent, recognized the famous Stockton attorney immediately. Like the worker who had first talked to Jarrod, William figured Jarrod was simply interested in getting answers to Magdalena's disappearance. "Here," he handed a young blonde haired boy, who stood next swinging ladder the acrobats used to climb up to the high wire, the towel he'd been using. "Please, take care of this while I go see what Mr. Barkley wants."

"Yes, sir." The young lad took the towel and hurried out of the tent while William made his way to the bleachers where Jarrod was sitting. Once he was seated on the dark brown, wooden bleachers, he looked at Jarrod and asked how he could be of service.

Jarrod looked up towards the high wire. He thought over every conversation he'd ever had with Nick when it came to the "missing" circus performer. "From what Nick tells me, Magdalena's great with the horses and good up there."

"She has a talent for sure; no one should've pushed her though. That was our mistake." William leaned back and kicked his leg over the other one, resting it on top of his knee. "Ever since she was little she was fascinated by the various acts in this tent." He let out a chuckle as he started freely talking about Magdalena. "On a few occasions, she would go so far as to sneak away from her aunt and hide behind the bleachers in order to watch what was going on."

Jarrod glanced towards slits between the bleachers and felt shock waves go through him. _"Neither one of us understand the tunnel with holes…."_ Nick's words rang in his ears. What if the 'tunnel' was really the space between the bleachers and the wall of the circus tent? "I could see the fascination a small child would have watching." Jarrod smiled, and then casually added that he couldn't blame any boy or girl who chose to do so, "As long as nothing happened to them or anyone else, I can't see a problem with it." Then, acting as if he was simply asking out of curiosity, he looked up at the high wire, "Guess the acrobats are the only ones brave enough to go up there,"

"Most of the time," William chuckled as he agreed. "My Anna used to say we were – as a general rule- the only ones crazy enough too."

"Used to?" Jarrod's eyebrows turned down slightly.

"My Anna is gone." William's wide smile shrunk as he let out a long sigh. "She died close to twenty years ago in a freak accident during a performance." William pointed upward towards the hire wire again. "Almost did me in, didn't go back up there for a solid three months – all I could do was see her falling and me hanging helplessly from my own swing. When I did go back, it was only because I knew if I didn't I would never go back…and my Anna would have had my hide for that." He uncrossed his legs and stood up. "Thank goodness we've lost no one else in such a tragic way. Other circus can't say the same thing. I don't mean they have a high death rate, but there aren't many who can say they've gone twenty years without a serious accident either. Now, before you ask, I didn't see which way Magdalena left. How could I? I never saw her leave in the first place. I need to excuse myself if you don't mind. I have other things to do." He turned and walked away.

Jarrod sat on the bleachers for a few more minutes, running his thumb across his lower lip as he did so. 'If there's been no serious accidents in twenty years and his wife fell to her death, it had to have been his wife's accident Magdalena's dreaming about' he thought. He then starting thinking about the part where Magdalena saw someone climbing the rope ladder up to the swings the acrobats used. Could the unknown person actually have fixed it so Anna's swing would break in middle of her and her husband's act? Standing up, he decided he decided he need to see if he could get Magdalena's aunt and uncle to tell him more about William Bell, his wife and anyone who might have had something against the couple.

~oOo~

Nick, who had been out fixing a portion of the corral that stood closest to the house, practically bumped into Magdalena as he opened the door and stepped inside.  
"Where are you going?" Nick's eyes grew hard as he folded his arms. "I thought the deal was that you stay indoors during the day, as to avoid being seen until Jarrod either gets some answers or the circus leaves town?"

Though his eyes were hard, Magdalena still saw the concern in his eyes. "I…" she started to defend her actions only to find herself growling. "I can't help it! What if you are right? What if I did witness something criminal? Your brother could find himself in trouble or worse, and it would be all my fault!" The idea of anything happening to any of the Barkleys made her sick to her stomach.

Nick unfolded his arms, appreciating her concern for Jarrod. "You're guilty of a few things. However; what Jarrod, I or any of this family chooses to do is not one of them." He then assured her Jarrod had someone watching his back…just in case. "Don't ask me who's helping him." Nick raised his hand and laid a finger upon Magdalena's slightly opened mouth; she'd started to question him when it came to Jarrod's protection. "No use trying to get that information out of me." Nick chuckled as he removed his finger. "Big Brother wouldn't tell me. Now," he looked around the house. "While I can't blame you for going a bit stir crazy, you think you can last until dark? We can take a walk around the yard once no one can see you."

Thinking of a few gopher holes she'd heard Nick and Heath talking about earlier, along with a few ruts in the ground due to an unexpected rainstorm the night before, she looked at Nick with her chin turned slightly upwards. "Did you fill in those holes yet? I don't care to have another conversation with the ground again."

Nick, who could see the teasing look in Magdalena's eyes, put his hands on his hips and, taking some of McColl's words spoken just that morning, snapped ever so slightly. "No, I put water in them and filled them with some fish."

"Magdalena, who also saw past the snapping, rolled her eyes and shot back 'Hardy, Har Har'… just as Victoria entered the room.

Magdalena did not feel like trying to convince Nick's mother-who Magdalena could see thought she had just interrupted a fight-she and Nick were just poking each other as it were. That being the case, Magdalena looked at Nick as if to ask him if he'd deal with it. He nodded ever so slightly. Afterwards, Magdalena excused herself, saying she was tired and wanted to lie down.

"What was that all about?" Victoria, who did indeed misinterpret what she'd walked in on, wanted some answers.

"Nothing serious," Nick threw his hands up in mock surrender. "She just has a bit of cabin fever as it were; we were just breaking the ice a bit." He then hurried out of the house, saying he had work to check on. He might have thought his mother would follow him and demand 'a better answer' -as the look in her eyes told him she did not fully believe his words- only Silas had walked out of the dining room as Nick reached the door. The hot tempered ranch could hear the servant as he started talking to Victoria. 'Hurry up and get home, Jarrod.' Nick thought as he shut the door behind him.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

 _ **Excerpt from Ch 13:**_

 _ **Jarrod sat on the bleachers for a few more minutes, running his thumb across his lower lip as he did so. 'If there's been no serious accidents in twenty years and his wife fell to her death, it had to have been his wife's accident Magdalena's dreaming about' he thought. He then started thinking about the part where Magdalena saw someone climbing the rope ladder up to the swings the acrobats used. Could the unknown person actually have fixed it so Anna's swing would break in the middle of her and her husband's act? Standing up, he decided he need to see if he could get Magdalena's aunt and uncle to tell him more about William Bell, his wife and anyone who might have had something against the couple.**_

~oOo~

Jarrod made his way passed portable wagons, a few cages and then crossed through an open area used by performers riding their horses until he reached a small tent…one that the circus' fortune teller had told him belonged to the Hansen family. 'If they're not in their home on wheels, they'll be in the tent' had been the woman's exact words. He was more than relieved to see the flap that covered the tent open wide. Stepping into the middle of the entrance, he could see Marcus and Zuzanna sitting on a couple of chairs that sat next to a small, round brown table. Trunks and boxes were set along the edge of the tent. There was also an accordion like divider that stood roughly six feet high, probably used when the family was changing their clothes.

"May I help you, Mr. Barkley?" Marcus, who had actually hoped the famous attorney would make an appearance at the circus, stood up... as did his wife.

Jarrod figured if he was to get any information he had to be just as careful with the Hansens as he had been with Mr. Bell. "I hope I'm not crossing lines, only I wanted to ask you a few questions."

"About Magdalena?" Marcus asked, with some hope in his voice. It made Jarrod feel badly about keeping Magdalena's whereabouts from the gentleman. Only, he had to get more answers before he did anything else.

"Yes," Jarrod walked over to a nearby crate-after Zuzanna invited him to sit down-and did just that. "And on another matter." He paused and then continued. It might help if he talked about Magdalena first, before asking about any enemies William Bell and his wife might have had. "Mr. Bell says she's been fascinated by all the acts since she was a child, said-basically- she hung around him and his wife quite a bit, along with the other performers."

"Most of them," Marcus gave a slight chuckle as he too sat down. "Think the only two she never cared for were Rachelle and Jasper Anders."

While Jarrod had not spent as much time with Magdalena as Nick had, he still remembered how impressed he was that the young woman seemed to know when a person could be trusted and when they couldn't. "Due to my business in law, I know the name Jasper Anders, but Rachelle? Is that Mr. Anders' wife?" Jarrod asked the question never knowing the answer would get Marcus talking about the very subject Jarrod was most interested in.

Marcus rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Rachelle was Jasper's cousin. Too full of pride and arrogance," He tilted his head back-acting as if his nose was in the air. It earned him a gentle glare from his wife, even if she did agree with her husband. "After Jasper continued turning down her advances, as he was too busy trying to get Anna to leave William and marry him instead…Rachelle got tired of it and married a man from another circus, went to Europe last time I heard."

Jarrod sat straight up. "Jasper Anders tried to get William's wife away from him?" He couldn't keep the shock out of his voice.

"Yes, he did. My sister, Anna, was a fireball and beautiful." Marcus wasn't surprised when Jarrod's eyes widened in surprise. It's not like the attorney would have any reason to know Marcus and a woman Jarrod had never met, were related. "Jasper kept telling her that there was no reason to stay married to a man she could only fight with." William shrugged his shoulders. "I admit, I don't understand the chords that bound Anna and William, but divorce was never an option in their book. They loved each other too much…in spite of all the fighting."

Jarrod had heard of people so obsessed with another person they'd kill them rather to see them with someone else. "What did Jasper do while he was working here?"

While he preferred to talk about Magdalena, Marcus could see where he'd aroused Jarrod's curiosity. That being the case, he answered the question without ever thinking Jarrod might be asking for another reason. "For the most part, he was one of our repairmen. That is, he would repair anything from broken wagon wheels to many of our props."

Thinking about Magdalena seeing 'someone doing something up there' and then the evil laugh as the unknown person left the area, Jarrod asked, "Exactly when did he leave the circus?"

"He left shortly after Anna died." Marcus grunted. "Said he couldn't stand to be in our circus without her and, if he stayed, he'd probably kill William." When Jarrod looked at him with confusion in his eyes, Marcus added, "He tried to get people to believe William and Anna were on the verge of divorce, said her husband had done something to rig the accident, only thing is," Marcus let out another harrumph, "William was with me a solid forty eight hours before the accident-except when he was performing. We had a major project going on at the time and had no time to spare. He had no time to rig anything." Marcus took a breath and then added, "If he had, something would have happened in the show that was put on a few hours prior to the one that killed his wife; she was in that performance as well."

"Exactly what happened? I mean, what caused Anna's fall?" Jarrod asked after Marcus fell silent.

"There are rings that connect various ropes." Zuzanna spoke up when her husband did not reply. "We thought we had all those rings replaced only we were wrong. Two of the older ones were still in use, and they broke."

"Or they were replaced' the thought flashed through Jarrod's mind. He had to get home and have a talk with Nick and Magdalena. He hoped maybe, just maybe she would remember anything else about what she saw as a child. However, to keep up the façade of looking Magdalena, Jarrod changed the subject and began asking questions about the Hansen's niece…along with asking if he could talk to Adam. "He was the last one to speak to her" was the justification Jarrod used when it came wishing to talk to Magdalena's cousin.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Jarrod, who had found Adam tending to some of the horses used during the horseback riding shows, leaned against the small brown corral the circus people had erected when they first arrived. Though, he said nothing until Adam was through.

"Mighty fine horses," Jarrod commented as Adam climbed over the fence.

"They should be, Magdalena bought them herself." Adam, who had heard all about the visits Jarrod was making to one performer after another, replied as he headed for a barrel of water. It sat in front of a wagon used to haul various, smaller, equipment.

"I was hoping to talk to you about the last conversation you had with your cousin." Jarrod leaned against one of the wagon's wheels and kept his eyes on Adam.

Adam, who was tired, did his best not to get ornery with the visiting attorney. After all, if he did that Jarrod Barkley might get the wrong idea. "I don't know what I can tell you. I pushed her to give up the horses and do the high wire act on a full time basis. I was wrong." Adam said as he took off the lid of the water barrel and, grabbing a wooden ladle, took a drink of water.

"I was actually hoping you could recall at least some of what you said to her, or at least the last bit." Jarrod wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for only, if it were Adam's words that had triggered the nightmare to flash before Magdalena's eyes, maybe there was something that would help back up the idea that had formed in his mind.

Adam shrugged his shoulders. "I told her I hated seeing her not living up to her potential. I said if she put the same energy she put into working with the horses into the tightrope act, she could be an even bigger star." He paused as he hung the ladle on the side of the wagon. "I have been thinking, and I think my mistake was mentioning Jasper Anders."

Jarrod had shock waves roll through. "Why would you mention a man who hasn't been with the circus since you were a child?"

Adam let out a halfhearted chuckle as he sat down on a nearby crate. "That man hasn't been with this circus in ages it is true, but the older adults still talk. I can't tell you how many times I heard someone say, basically, 'If you don't develop your talents, you'll wind up having to leave the circus. If that happens, you could wind up being like Jasper Anders'. Sayings like only grew as we caught wind of the many run ins other people had with him."

"And you, in essence, told her the same thing?" Jarrod, who was still leaning against the wagon, ran his thumb across his bottom lip.

"Yeah, told her that the man might not have broken any laws, but he was still no good. Told her I wanted more for her than that." Adam stood up. "I can't tell you exactly what else I said, but it was after that part that the look in her eyes-the look that William and I had both seen-grew. One minute she was standing there arguing with me, the next she was running out of the tent. I thought she was just going back to quarters, but no. She had vanished by the time I finished with my work." He then excused himself, telling Jarrod he had other things that needed to get done before dark.

Jarrod nodded and, after Adam had left, walked over to his horse. By that time Fred's nephew-Nels, who had been following Jarrod from a distance just in case anything happened, was standing by Jingo…the reins to his own horse in his hands.

"Find out anything," Nels asked once they were in their saddles and a good distance from the circus.

"Maybe," Jarrod answered after a moment. "I need to get back to the ranch. I need to talk to Nick." He would have added Magdalena only Nels was not aware of her whereabouts yet.

"I'll ride with you for a little ways," Nels turned his head forward. While nothing had happened, the man wasn't taking any chances.

~oOo~

While Jarrod was riding back towards the ranch, Nick and Magdalena had made their way to the barn…after the subject of the what Magdalena planned on doing once the mystery behind her nightmares were brought to light had come up.

"I didn't say that!" Nick snapped as he shut the barn door and walked to the middle of the barn looking at Magadalena, who was leaning on her crutches not two feet from him. "I only mentioned the events like rodeos have riding competition and some horse shows!" He then softened his tone as he leaned against one of the stables. "What you do with your life is up to you." He turned up the palms of his hands. "It's just….if there's a way," he paused and then plowed on ahead, "I want to see you on a more serious level; you know that."

Magdalena, who had realized for a long time how she felt about Nick, shook her head as she made her way to him-and then sat down beside him. "You really think that would be such a good idea? Your family does not support a relationship between us; how could they support us getting married…especially if I rode horses in these rodeos and any other nearby event that might take place. Maybe…even continue working with the circus when they were in town?" In spite of what everyone was saying, the high wire act was not as deep into her blood as her family was insisting it was. Even if the nightmares went away, it would make no difference as to how she felt about walking across a rope that was far too high in her books.

"My family doesn't like our 'fights', as they insist on calling them. However," he stressed his words as he wrapped his arm around Magdalena's shoulder. "If we stuck together, no matter what, I think they'd come to realize I've been telling them the truth and accept us. And, what you'd do if we actually married is between you and me."

"I don't know." She growled frustrated and admitted what had become her greatest fear…that something could still happen to a member of his family because she was there. "If something criminal did happen, and it is brought to light, your family could suffer because of it. How welcome do you think I'd be then?"

"If anything does happen," Nick took a hold of her shoulders and turned her just enough to look her in the eyes. "It won't be your fault. You have done nothing wrong." He then pulled her to him, and was delighted when-for the first time-she did not pull back.

Due to the fact they were both lost in the kisses they were exchanging, neither one noticed the barn door opening.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

 **Previously:** _Due to the fact they were both lost in the kisses they were exchanging, neither one noticed the barn door opening._

Nick stood behind Magdalena, who was sitting at the dining room table. Victoria was sitting across the table still looking very unhappy. The three had left the barn and gone back into the kitchen…lest any of the ranch hands arrived home earlier than expected; they'd all gone to circus' opening night.

"I don't see why you're so upset." Nick stood his ground, as he kept his hands on Magdalena's shoulders. "I told you, we were getting some fresh air while all the ranch hands were in town."

"I didn't go outside for my health." Victoria shot back. "I went out because of the yelling I heard going on. Yes, the ranch hands aren't due back for a few hours. However, you never know when one of them might come back early. I thought the idea was to keep Magdalena's presence here a secret? How can we do that if the two of you continue to fight?" Her eyes added, "And how can you go from fighting to kissing?"

Nick tightened his hold on Magdalena, but not so much as to hurt her. He was getting tired of repeating himself; though, for the sake of the long term relationship he hoped to have with Miss Hansen, he did his best to respond with a level tone in his voice. "I have told you a thousand times over that for the most part we are not fighting. We are simply having lively debates or sparring with each other." When his mother started to object, Nick snapped ever so slightly. "I don't want to discuss this with you, or anyone else, anymore. If nothing else, let's just call a truce and simply drop the subject. It's obvious that; for now, we will not agree." He glanced down at Magdalena and then back at his mother. "Jarrod should be home soon. Hopefully, he'll have some of the answers, we are looking for."

Victoria fought down the urge to literally shake her son, especially since she knew it would do no good. "All right, but do you think you two can keep this 'debating and sparring' down until everything is settled-one way or the other?"

Nick and Magdalena look at each other. Their eyes started laughing; still they managed to keep their composure. "Yes, Mrs. Barkley." Magdalena squirmed just a little. She knew Victoria had every right to be upset. Why did prodding Nick into a debate or a round of sparring -even at the cost of others thinking they were fighting - have to be so fun? If she could read minds, Magdalena would have found Nick asking himself the same question.

The discussion might have continued only the three heard the front door open, causing Nick to take a step backwards while Victoria and Magdalena stood up. The three then hurried into the foyer-hoping to find that it was Jarrod entering the home. Instead they saw Heath hanging up his hat. However, before they had a chance to say anything, Heath was talking. "Jarrod's taking care of Jingo. He asked me to make sure Nick and Magdalena were waiting in the living room."

"We'll all be waiting for him." Victoria spoke up even as she headed into the living room. The others followed. Not ten minutes later, Jarrod was walking into the living room.

"You find anything out?" Nick, who was standing near the fireplace, looked at his oldest brother, his eyes telling Jarrod that Nick was more than anxious to hear something-anything-that would bring Magdalena's the peace she so badly wanted.

"Maybe," Jarrod looked at his mother and Heath who were each sitting in the chairs that sat near the living room entrance. "Where are Eugene and Audra?" The last thing he wanted was to have to repeat himself more than once.

"Eugene got called back to Berkley by his science professor." Victoria spoke up. "Audra is spending a few nights at the orphanage, to help with the children. Why? Do we need them here as well?" That idea concerned the Barkley matriarch and the others greatly.

"Not really," Jarrod walked over to the table that held the alcohol beverages and poured himself a sherry. He then turned, walked over to the other side of the fireplace, and began telling them what he'd learned and what his theory was. He wasn't surprised when Magdalena, who was sitting on the sofa, let out a gasp and paled slightly. Also, it didn't shock him when Nick was sitting next to the young woman in a heartbeat. "I hate to have to ask you to think about that nightmare again," Jarrod looked at Magdalena. "Only, would you? See if, by chance, you can remember anything else?"

Magdalena sighed, told Jarrod she didn't have to and then looked at Nick. "It was when Adam said Jasper hadn't broken any laws that the nightmare began flashing before my face. And, just now, as Jarrod told us what he found-I could see the man up on the high wire….it was a man dressed up as a clown only thing is, he wasn't supposed to be dressed like that." Magdalena went on to say that because, as Jarrod had talked, she had heard the laugh again…only this time she recognized it. "It was Mister Anders' laugh! Don't ask me why he would be dressed up like that though, he wasn't even close to being a clown." Her face, which had regained its color, started going to pale again.

Nick felt his blood boil even as he asked Heath to hurry and get Magdalena some water, which Heath gladly did. Once Heath had given the glass of water to Magdalena, Nick looked at Jarrod. "He's got to have fixed that accident, but how are we going to prove it? Mag was only four years old, no one's going to take her word on it now."

Jarrod had been thinking on the problem ever since he'd ridden away from the circus with the deputy. He had an idea, but wondered if Magdalena would go along with hit. Or more importantly, if Nick would try to intervene. After all, his idea was risky, but it was the only way he could think of to make it so the law could arrest the former circus performer. "Not with the way things are now, they wouldn't."

Victoria, Heath, Nick and Magdalena all heard what Jarrod was not saying. Nick, wrapping his arm around Magdalena, pulled her slightly to him and asked-with a fiercely protective tone in his voice, "Just what did you have in mind, dear brother?"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Nick stood just inside the barn. He had exploded when Jarrod laid out the plan he'd come up with…and in turn Magdalena had turned on Nick. Naturally, their reactions had Victoria sending them out to the barn to discuss the matter.

"You can't confront him! That man will kill you the moment he realizes you witnessed what he did!" Nick didn't care how loud he sounded; he was scared to death for Magdalena's safety.

"One," Magdalena threw her hands up in the air as she walked briskly to the other side of the barn and turned around, "Jarrod never said he wanted me to confront the man by myself! He said he'd talk to the law and then my uncle, Adam **,** and William. Afterwards, the lot of you will be hidden close by! Second, we could very well be wrong. Maybe; just maybe, I simply witnessed an unfortunate accident!" Though, the moment she spoke the last thought, Magdalena just knew that wasn't the case.

Nick didn't like it at all. "There's got to be another way. I don't want to lose you." He spoke in an uncharacteristic volume, soft enough that Magdalena almost missed what he said.

A loving, grateful smile appeared on her face as she closed the gap between them. "You are not going to lose me. We will force Mr. Anders' hand as Jarrod suggests and then I will stay here, with you. That is, on the condition you don't fight me performing on my horses at the rodeos and working with them when the circus is in town. I know my aunt and uncle." She wrapped her arms around Nick's waist and smiled. "Because they are convinced I belong on the high wire, they will think I am making a mistake. However, they'll still give me their support." She paused and then asked, a bit of worry in her voice. "Will your family support you? They, like my aunt and uncle, are still not convinced 'our rounds' are not really fighting."

Nick thought on the conversation Magdalena, Victoria and he had had in the kitchen. He could still see the look in his mother's eyes afterwards…and the one that had been in her eyes as he and Magdalena had left the house to come out to the barn. Of course, the latter was more than justified as he and Magdalena had started actually fighting. Still… "I hope so, but if any of them makes me choose," he pulled Magdalena to him. "we'll leave this ranch and find another one. Like I have said more than once in the past, I love you. And," He smiled as he'd more than heard the words 'stay here, with you', "you know to stay here with me you'll have to be my wife."

Magdalena gave him a playful scowl and gave his back a slight tap, "Don't remind me." The whole time her eyes were laughing.

Nick only pulled her to him and lowered his head. After kissing her with all his worth, Nick shocked her by telling her there was another option that they could use to get a confession out of Mr. Anders.

~oOo~

While Nick and Magdalena were in the barn debating the option he'd come up with, Jarrod, Victoria and Heath were in the living room have a discussion of their own.

"There's got to be another way to get a confession; if there is one, out of this Jasper Anders." Victoria might have her doubts when it came to a relationship between Nick and Magdalena; however, she didn't want to see any harm come to the young woman either.

"I wish there was." Jarrod, who was feeling more than guilty that he had not come up with any other ideas that he thought would work, sat down on the sofa while looking at his mother and Heath. "If you can come up with another idea, I'm all ears."

"When will you talk to Fred and Nels?" Heath asked as he leaned back in his chair. "I mean, I assume you said nothing to the deputy on your way home."

"I didn't. Just said I might have found something and needed to talk to Nick," Jarrod leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "I plan on talking to them in the morning, and then I'll head down to the circus grounds and talk to her uncle, cousin and Mr. Bell." He looked at his mother, who still looked more than concerned. "Who else can confront him? He won't believe Marcus Hansen or William Bell saw him. It wouldn't make sense that they'd let it slide if they had. When it comes to Adam, he's not the one known for dealing with constant nightmares. So, how could he convince Mr. Anders that the incident had plagued him all these years?"

Before she could answer, the front door opened. Nick and Magdalena walked into the house and then made their way to the living room. The unhappy, but resigned look in Magdalena's eyes and the determined one in Nick's put all the Barkleys on alert. Without having to ask, they just knew what was coming. Though, it was Victoria who spoke up first, voicing what they were all thinking.

"You've decided to go in her place, haven't you?" Victoria, who had risen to her feet, looked at her son who had his arm around Magdalena's shoulder.

"Yes, I have." Nick saw no reason to give anything but a short, to the point answer.

"And just how are you going to convince him you saw him replacing two good rings with two old ones when you weren't even there?" Jarrod stood up and turned around, in order to see his brother without having to turn his head.

"I'm not even going to try that one!" Nick snapped ever so slightly and then apologized. "But, I know what I can say that will prod him into talking. And," he looked at Magdalena at the same time he gave her a slight squeeze. "I'm not having Magdalena even in the area when I talk to the man. I won't chance her getting hurt. And, don't," he gave Magdalena as stern glare when she started to open her mouth, "start fighting me again. Do you really want to go outside and discuss it some more?"

"You're too stubborn for your own good." Magdalena huffed…even as her eyes were laughing and saying 'I know, I know. I'm really the one to talk'

Nick only chuckled and agreed.

When it came to his family, Victoria, knowing there was no use arguing with Nick when he got something into his head-excused herself and then left the room. Nick then asked Magdalena to go ahead and get some rest while he talked to his brothers.

Magdalena would have argued only she had to admit she was tired. That being the case, she did as Nick had asked. It wasn't moments later that she was out of the room and the three brothers were discussing Nick's idea and how to carry it out.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Jasper Anders, who had been living in the _Modesto Boarding House_ for the past few months, now stood at the end of the circus grounds. It was close to midnight and eerily silent. He thought on how he'd walked into the motel and found the clerk handing him an envelope. "Don't ask me who it's from. I wasn't on duty when it was dropped off, and I didn't ask any questions" had been the clerk's words when Jasper questioned him. Once he was in his room, Jasper had opened the envelope and taken out the letter. The shock he'd received as he began reading was beyond description.

" _I know how Anna Bell died. Come to the circus grounds in Stockton and walk around; I'll see you and make contact. Do this if you want me to remain silent."_

There had been no signature, but Jasper didn't care. He had to find out who sent the letter and how much they really knew. Slowly he made his way past one tent after another, hoping no one but the sender of the note and himself were awake-the whole time he kept his right hand near the gun he carried on his side. As he walked he racked his brain, trying to remember if there had been anyone else around when he went into the tent. However, all he could do was grow more confused. He had dressed up as a clown for a few reasons. If someone had indeed seen him enter the main tent, they shouldn't have recognized him. And it would have to be someone outside the tent, there had been absolutely no one else in the tent. His thoughts were interrupted as he passed one of the animal's cages.

"Stop where you are, remove that gun and drop it to the ground." A voice spoke from behind Jasper.

If it had been Jarrod speaking, Jasper would have recognized the voice immediately. As it was, he'd only seen Nick from a distance and been told his name. That being the case, he removed his gun, dropped it and then turned around. Instantly his eyes widened. What on earth was going on! There was no way the famous Stockton rancher could know of events that took place twenty years ago, especially since the circus hadn't been in Stockton at the time!

"You send that note?" Jasper asked in an irritated tone of voice, never thinking that men like Marcus, Jarrod, William and others-who had gone into shock upon the revelation Jarrod had handed them-were hidden listening to every word.

"The note is irrelevant. The fact that you dressed as a clown, climbed the rope ladder and rigged Anna's swing to fall is." Nick spoke low and even, and the look in his eyes scorched Jasper's face. "That's murder in the first degree."

Jasper forced himself to speak low; the last thing he wanted was to wake anyone up. "Look here, I never set anything up to make Anna have an accident! I never wanted her dead! I want to know where you got this information! Show me the proof!"

Nick went to reply only to have William, who was hiding behind a nearby tent-along with the sheriff and Jarrod, had a startling revelation wash over him…and he shocked everyone by walking around to the front cage he'd been hiding behind.

"What!" Jasper took a step backwards and then, due to the intense anger in William's eyes, repeated what he'd said about not planning Anna's death.

"No, you didn't!" William hissed as he stepped closer to his hated enemy. "You were planning mine! You wanted me out of the way!" His statement shocked Nick only he knew the long time acrobat had to be right…as Jasper's face had paled slightly. "You didn't know that _my_ Anna and I had decided to change our plans and perform another act. I was suppose be using that swing. And," he snapped even harder, "Had the person who saw you in the tent asked any of us why you were dressed as a clown, we could have told them one of the clowns had come down sick and that you had offered to take their place for one night. We all thought you were simply trying to help only all that wasn't right. You wanted to be with those particular performers when others were told to send in the clowns and distract the audience. You wanted to see for yourself that I was dead!" He went to grab Jasper only to have the man swore, turned and tried to run away. However, he didn't even go two feet when the sheriff and Nick both grabbed him. Mr. Anders would have tried wrestling free only the rest of the men had made their presence known. Had he taken the time to think, Jasper Anders would have said nothing. After all, he could have said the men were just making things up. As it was, he let his fury at being caught 'after all these years'; he started screaming things like "You were supposed to die! Who saw me! No one was in the tent! Who saw me!" It did him no good as no one said a word until Jarrod and the sheriff had Mr. Anders handcuffed, in the back of a wagon they'd also hidden and then driven away.

"Jarrod says Magdalena doesn't want to come back to the circus, not full time that is. He says the two of you wish to marry." Marcus, who could easily see William and Anna in Nick and his niece, couldn't help but shake his head just a little.

"We've talked about it." Nick freely admitted. He wasn't surprised when Marcus said he wanted to talk to the two of them as soon as possible.

Nick nodded. "We'll come by sometime tomorrow."

The men then talked for a few more minutes before going their separate ways.

Epilogue (A Year Later)

Victoria, Jarrod and Heath were in the living room discussing the progress of the home that was being built for Nick and Magdalena, who had married a few months after Jasper had hung himself in the Stockton jail, when the front door opened. None of them were surprised to see Magdalena walking briskly in with Nick following on her heels. "It's called barrel racing, and you could have told me you needed the barrels- and why - before you moved them!" She snapped as she headed up the stairs.

"You could have told me what the deal was before you placed those barrels in the field the first place!" Nick raised his voice as he made his reply…only to have his mother let out a loud whistle, causing both him and Magdalena to quickly turn around and close their mouths.

"What did we agree the two of you would do while you live under this roof?" Victoria had her one fist on her hip while she was pointing at her son and daughter-in-law with the other.

"To keep our voices down if we're inside the house." Both answered at the same time, and then started back down the stairs.

"You just came in." Jarrod took a step forward.

"And we're going back outside!" Nick snapped just a little as he held open the front door.

The moment the door was closed, Victoria turned to Jarrod and Heath. "When did you say their house was going to be completed?"

"Not soon enough," both answered at the same time, and then busted up laughing. Victoria might have said something in reply only she could hear Nick and Magdalena's voices-even if she couldn't make out what they were saying. All she could do was roll her eyes and shake her head.

 **Author's Note: According to my research, barrel racing didn't actually start until 1948** **by a group of women from Texas. They wanted to make a home for women in general in the sport of rodeo. However, I've taken the fact and -obviously- pushed it back into the 1800's for the sake of the story.**


End file.
